His Majesty And I ✔️

Promises, Promises.

Chapter 52

Imperial Concubine Wei
Wei Li Lian
Hougong

The whole hall went quiet at the news. No one had a word to say, clearly shocked and wondering what next. What did it mean for them?

Li Lian knew what it meant for her.

Death.

Nobody muttered words of congratulations to Noble Consort Qi. They just ate on in silence. It was already an accomplishment of hers that everyone liked her. So who would speak against her?

Noble Consort Qi was docile and so kind, and with this she had attained friendship with almost every woman in Hougong. Now Li Lian wondered whether the friendship between them was actually genuine or it was for the sake of ulterior motives―becoming the phoenix.

“Consort Wang.” Yuwen Hong called, among the noise of cutlery that was  accompanied by tense quietness.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” She was glad to be acknowledged, her first time since forever.

“What did you do to attain Cai Wenjin?”

“Replying to His Majesty, I wrote more than a hundred scriptures daily so that the heavens would have mercy on me and grant me an heir.”

Yuwen Hong nodded, quite pleased with the answer. Li Lian had an inkling idea where this was heading.

“You sometimes even used your blood as the ink for the scriptures?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. In my later days of desperation I used my blood as  sacrifice.”

“Hao. You did well because at the end you gifted me with such an amazing princess.” Yuwen Hong patted the head of Cai Wenjin―his way of expressing love to her―who was stuffing her face with much more food than she could handle, in her father’s lap.

Could it be that she had thrown the tantrum purposely so that she could sit there and eat foreign pastries instead of the normal Nevorian dishes.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Consort Wang smiled. It was quite intriguing how her voice was different before him.

“Imperial Concubine Wei wants to get pregnant too."

No she did not.

"Would you be kind to show her tomorrow how to write these scriptures. She must write more than ten scores (two hundred).” Yuwen Hong spoke with his gaze fixated on his daughter.

Consort Wang looked at Li Lian and devilishly smiled. “This servant will be delighted!”

This gave the harem something to talk about. They began to speculate what was going on, giving Li Lian the hateful glares.

So this was another of Yuwen Hong’s punishment. Wasn’t making another woman empress enough? Funny, this was what they called love. Because if so, she didn’t want it.

It was hurtful.

Li Lian fisted her hand, her knuckles ashen due to the pressure.

You might as well die, Li Lian.

Die, die, die.

It was beginning to sink in. She was going to die. The purpose of her life, as her father liked to call it, was over. For years upon years, she had been trained, beaten to the pulp, forced to become who she wasn’t, read books about a nation she didn’t belong to. And all for what?

Ha-ha.

Li Lian bit her lip until it spurt out blood. She was done for.

She poured a large amount of wine and downed it in one go. Determined it wasn't enough, she poured two more. She shook her head to the chills of it, banging the table with the wine cup as she placed it back.